Middle School Genetics and Evolution/ Natural Selection
To start, students will focus on understanding how plants and animals reproduce and go through particular life cycles. To go deeper they will learn what role DNA, chromosomes, dominant and recessive traits play in reproduction. Once students grasp this narrow focus it can then be broadened into the larger context of ecosystems and the role of evolution and natural selection. To begin students will learn about ecosystems and the different biotic and abiotic forces affecting populations. This can lead into food webs, which can then move into adaptions and evolution of animals, which help them to survive and reproduce.
Activities that can contribute to student learning would be practicing punnett squares, drawing or molding chromosomes from clay and observing 3-D models of DNA. For ecosystems, students could be brought outside into the local environment and investigate the local flora, fauna, biotic and abiotic factors. Students can then create their own drawings of food webs and trace the flow of energy through modeling. Videos of weird animals with abnormal adaptations could be shown to demonstrate evolution and natural selection.
Focus Questions as given by MS CT:
Compare and contrast sexual and asexual reproduction.
Compare and contrast various plant and animal life cycles.
What is DNA?
What are Chromosomes?
Compare and contrast dominant and recessive traits.
What is an ecosystem?
What are biotic and abiotic factors and how do the affect the populations within ecosystems?
What is predation?
What is a food web?
Create a food web for a local ecosystem and describe how it traces the flow of energy in an ecosystem.
To start, students will focus on understanding how plants and animals reproduce and go through particular life cycles. To go deeper they will learn what role DNA, chromosomes, dominant and recessive traits play in reproduction. Once students grasp this narrow focus it can then be broadened into the larger context of ecosystems and the role of evolution and natural selection. To begin students will learn about ecosystems and the different biotic and abiotic forces affecting populations. This can lead into food webs, which can then move into adaptions and evolution of animals, which help them to survive and reproduce.
Activities that can contribute to student learning would be practicing punnett squares, drawing or molding chromosomes from clay and observing 3-D models of DNA. For ecosystems, students could be brought outside into the local environment and investigate the local flora, fauna, biotic and abiotic factors. Students can then create their own drawings of food webs and trace the flow of energy through modeling. Videos of weird animals with abnormal adaptations could be shown to demonstrate evolution and natural selection.
Focus Questions as given by MS CT:
Compare and contrast sexual and asexual reproduction.
Compare and contrast various plant and animal life cycles.
What is DNA?
What are Chromosomes?
Compare and contrast dominant and recessive traits.
What is an ecosystem?
What are biotic and abiotic factors and how do the affect the populations within ecosystems?
What is predation?
What is a food web?
Create a food web for a local ecosystem and describe how it traces the flow of energy in an ecosystem.